L/H-gas conversion
For a secure, high-quality natural gas supply that’s fit for the future.
In order to cope with the decline in L-gas availability, the service areas currently supplied with L-gas have to be converted to H-gas. To this end, the gas transmission system operators have developed a conversion concept which is regularly updated in cooperation with the distribution system operators affected.
As part of the planning process, the supply situation for L-gas is continuously analysed and assessed against demand. The conversion schedule as currently planned is described in the Gas Network Development Plan (NDP) and the NDP Implementation Report. The current NDP status can be found here. More detailed information on L/H-gas conversion at all TSOs can be found in the TSO gas database.
Where will the conversion take place?
The process affects consumers in northern and western Germany, who are still supplied with L-gas. They account for some 25 percent of the German gas market. The conversion to high-calorific natural gas already started in May 2015. Between five and 5.5 million gas appliances used by domestic, commercial and industrial gas customers have to be adjusted by 2030 so that they can cope with the higher energy content of H-gas. All measures are designed to ensure the quality and security of future natural gas supplies
Information on conversion levy
According to the Gas Cooperation Agreement, Section 10 Paragraph 6, the transmission system operators are obliged to publish the updated nationwide conversion levy in €/(kWh/h) on October 1 of each year.
The following values were determined nationwide:
- Market area conversion costs nationwide 2025 ACCORDING to plan/actual comparison 2023: €193,028,853.69
- Sum of the remaining expected booked or ordered annual exit capacity of the networks nationwide in 2025: 287.526.486 kWh/h/a
- Specific market area conversion levy nationwide in 2025: 0.6711 €/kWh/h/a
- Actual conversion costs nationwide in 2023: €222,394,817.42
The costs are reported to OGE via the contract management system VMS.
Conversion dates for OGE pipeline network at a glance
For more information about the conversion dates, click here.
In accordance with the Market Conversion Guideline ("Leitfaden Marktraumumstellung"), the conversion year specified in the Network Development Plan and the expected technical and balancing conversion dates are displayed. To view the technical and balancing conversion dates, first select L-gas and then open the detailed information for the relevant network point by double-clicking.